Player-piano note-sheet-spool motor.



W. T. WAITB.

PLAYER PIANO NOTE SHEET SPOOL MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED I'EB.20,1914.

Patented Nov 17 1914 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 HUN Nil

1i mnmmmmuu W. T. WAITE.

PLAYER PIANO NOTE SHEET SPOOL MOTOR.

APPLICATION rum) 118.20, 1914.

1,1 17,727. Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WILLIAM T. WAITE, OF LAPORTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE ORPHEOLA COMPANY, OF LAPORTE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

Application filed February 20, 1914. Serial No. 819,867.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. WAITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Laporte, in the county of Laporte and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Player-Piano Note- SheetSpool Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to piano players, player pianos and the like and more particularly to the pneumatic motors which impart the desired rotation to the note sheet spools with which such instruments are ordinarily provided.

Prior to my invention the motors commonly provided for this purpose have con sisted of a plurality of pairs of bellows having movable tops or bottoms each pivoted along one edge and connected variously at the opposite edge to a suitable crank shaft. By reason of the form and arrangement of these devices it has been found necessary to construct them of large dimension in order to impart the necessary power to the crank shaft. The motor has therefore occupied considerable space in the instrument and has required the substantially continuous exhaustion of large amounts of air in its operation. These motors preferably consist of six actuating units or pairs of bellows and when these bellows are of large size, as prior to my invention, so far as I am aware, has always been necessary, they have consumed a large percentage of the energy necessary to operate the instrument of which the m0- tor is a part.

It is a principal object of my invention to provide a motor for the purpose hereinbefore described of compact form, the parts of which shall be so constructed and arranged that relatively small units may be provided to impart the same power to the crank shaft heretofore imparted to it by the larger pairs of bellows, materially reducing thereby the amount of suction required to operate the motor and rendering easier in consequence the operation of the player.

A further object of my invention is to provide a motor of the characterdescribed which will be much cheaper to manufacture than those heretofore provided and which will have equal durability and efliciency.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof:

On the drawings, Figures 1 and 2, respectively, are top and bottom plan views of a motor embodying my invention; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the l1ne 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional vlew taken substantially on the line H of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a top plan vlew of the bottom board of the motor.

Referrlng to the drawings reference charactor 11 indicates the base or main board of the motor upon which are mounted three upwardly extending arms 12 arranged in a line extending transversely and centrally of the base board 11. These arms constitute standards or supports for three levers 13 connected at their ends by connecting links 14 with a crank shaft 15 mounted in suitable bearings 16 provided in brackets 17 which are fastened to the base board 11 in any desired fashion. The upper ends of each arm 12 is bifurcated at 18 to provide a pan of upwardly extending projections 19 between which its corresponding lever 13 is positioned and to which this lever is fulcrumed by a suitable pin 21 extending through the projections and through the lever. Each lever is connected to a pair of actuating units 22 and 23. This provides six actuating units, two for each lever and constitutes what may be called a six-point motor. The three levers are connected to the crank shaft 120 degrees apart and one umt for each lever acts to move the lever in one direction about its fulcrum and the other unit in the other direction. Thus this arrangement provides for a substantially continuous and even application of forces to the crank shaft as the deviceris operated. The six units are substantial duplicates of each other and a description of one of them will apply equally to the others. The unit 22 consists in the present instance of rigid top and bottom members 25% and 25, preferably substantially square in superficial area. The bottom member 25 is fastened to the base board 11 adjacent a side edge and the top member 24 is provided with an upwardly extending bifurcated arm 26 to which is pivoted one arm of a lever 13 by a pin 27. The top and bottom members 24 and 25 are connected together around their lateral edges by a sheet 28 of suitable air-excluding material. Intermediate the members 24 and 25 and secured along its edges to the sheet 28 is interposed a brace 29 of form substantially that of the top and bottom members and having an aperture 31 extending through it. The units 23 and 24 are arranged at a substantial distance from the fulcrum of the lever 13 and are of relatively small dimensions. Extending through the bottom member 25 and through the base board is preferably provided an aperture 32 through which air may be alternately withdrawn and admitted to the unit. The admission and exhaustion of the air from these units is controlled by a mechanism which will now be described.

in aperture 33 extends centrally and transversely into and nearly through the base board beneath the arms 12 and in the end of this aperture a pipe 34 is positioned. This pipe is connected by a tube to the main exhaust device of which it may for the purposes of this invention be considered a part. The aperture 33 communicates with apertures 34 extending into the base board from its bottom facebetween the units of each pair. A valve board 36 is rigidly fastened'to the lower face of the base board and this valve board is provided with apertures 34 which, when the parts are assembled, alines with the apertures 34. On the inner face of this board are provided six channels 37, all having their ends 38 and 39 disposed in alinement longitudinally of the valve board. These channels are so arranged that their ends are disposed in alinement also with the aperture 34 communicating with the exhausting device. One end 38 of each channel communicates-with an aperture 32 and through this aperture communicates with an appropriate unit and the other end is provided with anopening 41 through the valve board. Suitable guides 42 are provided on the under face of the valve board, said guides being provided with longitudinally extending ribs 43 and arranged to provide three pairs of oppositely disposed ribs as seen in Fig. 4. Upon each pair of ribs is mounted a valve member 44. These valve members each consist of a slide having on each side a longitudinal groove 45 in which is adapted to fit loosely an appropriate rib 43. Each slide is provided with a longitudinal recess of sufficient length to cover an aperture 41 through which air may be drawn from an appropriate unit and the aperture 34 through which communication is established with the exhausting device. The travel of the slide is such that it alternately connects the two apertures 41 located between its guideways with the exhausting device and when one aperture 41 is in communication with the exhausting device the other is in communication with the outside air. The slides are moved longitudinally on the ribs and are timed to alternately open the apertures 41 to the air and to place them in communication with the exhausting device by connecting ribs 46 which are pivotally connectedat one end 47 with the slide and at the other end 48 with an appropriate link connecting the lever actuated by the units controlled by the slide and the'cr-a-nk sha t.

The motor consists of simple parts, many of which are duplicates and the de'vice can consequently be constructed very cheaply. By reason of the use of the small units arranged as described for producing a maximum effect on the operating levers, it will be manifest that the amount of suction required to operate them is relatively small, and it will be manifest, also, that the device is compact in form and durable and efficient in operation. p It will be obvious that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its material advantages, the form ,hereinbefore disclosed being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A pneumatic motor comprising a base, an air chamber disposed within said base, a support upon the base, a lever fulcrumed in said support, a crank shaft connected to said lever, a pair of bellows mounted on opposite sides of the base and connected to said lever, ducts in the base open to said bellows and extending toward said air chamber, and slidable means for alternately connect.- ing said ducts with said air chamber.

2. A. pneumatic motor comprising a base, an air chamber disposed within said base, a support upon the base, a lever fulcrumed in said support, a crank shaft connected to said lever, a plurality of bellows, each comprising a pair of oppositely disposed independent members and air-tight flexible connecting means, mounted on opposite sides of said base and connected to said lever at points substantially equally distant from said support, ducts in the base open to said bellows and extending toward said air chamber, and slidable means operable by the movement of said crank shaft for alternately connecting said ducts with said air chamber.

3. A. pneumatic motor comprising a base, an exhaust chamber disposed within said base, a support upon said base, a lever fulcrumed in said support, a crank shaft connected to said lever, a pair of bellow'smounted on opposite sides of the base and connected to said lever, ducts in the base open to said bellows, and slidable means operable by the movement of said crank shaft for alternately connecting said ducts with said exhaust chamber.

4. A pneumatic motor comprising a hor-izontally disposed base, an exhaust chamber disposed. Within said base, a vertical support upon said base, a lever fulcrumed on said support, a crank shaft connected to said lever, a plurality of bellows, each comprising a pair of oppositely disposed independent members and air tight flexible connecting means, mounted on opposite sides of said base and connected to said lever at points substantially equally distant from said support, ducts in the base open to said bellows, and slidable means operable by the movement of said crank shaft for alternately connecting said duets with said exhaust chamber.

5. A pneumatic motor comprising a base,

an air chamber disposed Within said base, a plurality of supports upon said base, a lever fulcrumed on each of said supports, a crank shaft connected to said lever, a plurality of pairs of bellows mounted on opposite sidesof said base and connected to said levers at points substantially equally distant from said supports, ducts in said base open to said bellows, and slidable means operable by the movement of said crank shaft for al ternately connecting said ducts with said air chamber.

WILLIAM T. WAITE. lVitnesses H. V. MoLAUoHLIN, P. A. TENNIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. G. 

